Apparatus with movably mounted spoon magazine for inserting spoons in cartons



Aug 7, 1951 L.. KuLPlNsKl 2,563,728

APPARATUS WITH MOVABLY MOUNTED SPOON MAGAZINE FOR INSERTING SPOONS IN CARTONS Filed Jan. 17, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l jizz/anan- Aug. 7, 195] KULP|NSK| 2,563,728

APPARATUS WITH MOVABLY MOUNTED SPOON MAGAZINE FOR INSERTING SPOONS IN CARTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1949 Patented Aug. 7, 1951 ENT OFFICE APPARATUS WITH MOVABLY MOUNTED SPOON MAGAZINE FOR INSERTING SPOONS IN CAR-TONS Leo Kulpinski, Wausau, Wis., assignor to Mara- 4 thon Corporation, Rothschild, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 17, 1949, Serial No. 71,341

This invention relates to a machine for automatically inserting flat Wooden spoons in a pocket portion provided in cartons.

The apparatus comprises means for conveying a series of flat collapsed cartons provided with a pocket portion to a spoon inserting station Where means are provided for feeding one spoon at a time from a magazine and for inserting the spoon in the pocket portion of the carton.

Large quantities of single slices or helpings of ice cream, sherbet, frozen ices and desserts and the like are sold in paper cartons or packages which may be provided with a hinged cover adapted to be opened so that the consumer may eat the food directlyfrom the container by means of a wooden spoon or other implement that may beprovided. Such packages are sold on trains, amusement places, parks, refreshment places and in outdoor stands. It has been customary to give the consumer a spoon with each purchase or to place a spoon `loosely inside the package which the consumer can use for eating the food products. When spoons are inserted within the package they are often lost or misplaced.

In order to overcome this diiculty, cartons have been designed which are provided with a pocket portion for receiving a spoon. One such carton construction is disclosed `in copending application Serial No. 786,029 filed November 14, 1947, Vand nowissued as U. S. Patent 2,509,616. The pocket `portion is formed by folding over one of the aps of the carton and gluing its margins to the body of the carton so as to form a pocket portion within which a Wooden spoon or other implement may be inserted and in which it will be securely retained while being shipped or stored until it is used by the consumer. The pocket portion occupies relatively little space and is constructed in such manner that it is a functional part of the package and does not unduly bulk or bulge the package or deform it in any way. Before or after opening the cover of the carton or container it is possible to readily remove the spoon or other implement by merely slipping it out of the pocket portion for convenient use.

It has been found very laborious and inconvenient to insert spoons in such pocket portions by hand. Furthermore, it is undesirable from the viewpoint of cleanliness and sanitation to handle such spoons. The present invention provides means for overcoming this problem by providing automatic means for inserting spoons in the pocket portions of the type of cartons previously referred to.

4 Claims. (Cl. 226-2)` Details andadvantages of the inventions will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, wherein i Figure l is a perspective View of the spoon inserting apparatus,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, partly in section, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan View partly broken and in section taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to thedrawings, the flat collapsed carton, indicated by numeral I0, is provided with a pocket portion I3 for receiving a flat wooden spoon I2.l The upper part of pocket portion I3 is cut away at II to provide a gripping area for spoons carried in the pocket. A stackof aligned spoons I2 is retained in a magazine 65. The individual spoons are fed one at a time from the bottom of the magazine by means of an automatically operated slide 2D which is reciprocated by means to be described later.

The cartons IIJ are conveyed on a pair of spaced chain conveyors I4 which are provided with suitably spaced lugs I5 for holding the cartons in properly spaced relation and to move them toward the spoon inserting station.

The spoon inserting unit comprises a reciprocating slide 20 which is carried by a head 2| reciprocating on a rocking arm 60. The rocking arm is pivoted on shaft 52 so as to rock thereon. A coiled compression spring 6I is provided beneath the rear end of arm 60 against which the arm is yieldingly rocked. The spring tends to normally rock the forward end of arm B0 downwardly toward the frame member 5. The opposite end of the rocking arm 60 carries a magazine for holding a stack of aligned spoons I2. The magazine is also provided with guy rods 66 attached to arm 60 to fxedly secure the magazine to the arm B0. A weight 61 rests on top of the stack of spoons so as to feed the spoons toward the bottom opening of the magazine.

Reciprocating slide 20 is actuated by link 23 which is pivoted eccentrically on a rotating disc 25 mounted on shaft 2'I. Shaft 2'I is rotated by bevel gear 28 which in turn is driven by bevelled gear 29 on shaft 30. Shaft 3B is driven by a sprocket 3| and chain 32 connected to and driven by a motor, not shown.

Shaft 2'I also carries a cam 4lIIJ having a cam track 4I which engages with a follower roll 42 carried on a bracket 44 integral with rocking arm 69 as shown in Figure 2. They magazine 65 is provided with a bracket 'I5 which carries a rod 68 having a tamping element 65 at the lower end thereof for contacting the cartons as the rocking arm tilts downwardly toward the frame member so as to contact the carton Il] positioned therebeneath.

In operation, the cartons Ill are conveyed on the spaced chain conveyer I4 intermittently so as to bring an individual carton to rest at the spoon inserting station. Shaft 21 is rotated in fixed relation with the travel of chains I4 so as to rock arm 60 to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. At the same time crank arm 23 reciprocates the slide beneath the open end of the magazine 65 so as to eject a single spoon I2 into the pocket portion I3 of the carton. The forward bottom edge of the magazine 65 is provided with protuberance 'I0 which engages the body of the carton and slightly depresses it adjacent and forwardly of the opening of the pocket portion as shown in Figure 2. At the same time the tamping element 69 engages the body of the carton so as to retain it in place while the spoon is being inserted into the pocket portion I3. Further rotation of the shaft 21 depresses the rear end of the rock arm 60 so as to cause the forward end to tilt upwardly carrying with it the magazine, reciprocating slide and tamper. The carton is then conveyed past the spoon inserting station and another carton is positioned in place for receiving a spoon. This operation is repeated continuously.

Other variations and modifications in the above described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and no limitations are intended thereby except such as are contained in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus comprising a conveyor, means on said conveyor for positioning a carton blank relative thereto, said carton blank having a pocket therein, means for intermittently moving said conveyor whereby cartons thereon are carried to an inserting station, a support mounted for arcuate movement in a vertical plane, means for moving said support in such plane from an upper to a lowermost position, amagazine carriedA by said support for articles to be inserted into the pocket of said carton blanks, a reciprocating slide movable in a plane parallel to and closely adjacent said magazine support adapted to enan inserting station, a support mounted for arcuate movement in a vertical plane including a rocking arm, a cam for moving said support in such plane from an upper to a lowermost position, a magazine carried by said support for articles to be inserted into the pocket of said carton blanks, a reciprocating slide mounted on said arm and movable in a plane parallel to and closely adjacent said magazine support adapted to engage and eject an article from said magazine, a crankV associated with said cam for reciprocating said slide, said .cam and said slide being designed and arranged whereby said reciprocating slide moves said article into said pocket when said gage and ejectan article from said magazine when said magazine is moved to its lowermost magazine is in its'lowermost position adjacent the open end of said pocket and whereby said magazine moves away from said carton blank after insertion of said article to permit said carton blank to be moved by said conveyor away from said inserting station.

4.' The apparatusof lclaim 3 including a tamper and a protuberance secured to said magazine and positioned to hold cartons in position at said inserting'station and to depress a Yportion of the carton immediately adjacent the open end of the pocket whereby said pocket is opened to receive said articles.

LEO KULPINSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in theY le of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,705,082 Brigham Mar. 12, 1929 1,881,845 Morris Oct. 11, 1932 2,322,175 Y Talbot et al June 15, 1943 

